Los Angeles Sustainability Plan
The County of Los Angeles has developed the first county-wide sustainability plan, and has contracted with UCLA, in collaboration with the engineering firm Buro Happold, and with Liberty Hill Foundation.…
Projects
Only one way to succeed in a city? Urban Dark-eyed Junco adaptation across multiple novel environments
Awardee: Eleanor Diamont, Ph.D. in the Yeh Lab. Eleanor is interested in using the Dark-eyed Junco as a model system to understand how birds can cope with and adapt to urban stressors.
Post-fire impact on biological community of coastal lagoons in southern California
Awardee: Rachel Turba de Paula, Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Rachel studies population genetics of endangered and extirpated species in southern California, as well as community change in coastal lagoons to address local conservation efforts.
Quantifying the effects of soil microbes on California annual plant community dynamics
Awardee: Gaurav S. Kandlikar, PhD candidate and NSF Graduate Research fellow in Dr. Nathan Kraft’s plant community ecology group. Gaurav is deeply fascinated by the origins and consequences of diversity, and in his research he uses a combination of ecological theory, field experiments, and molecular techniques to study the ecological processes that help maintain plant species diversity, especially in southern California grasslands.
Queer and Trans in STEM
Our partner organization, Queer and Trans in STEM (QTSTEM), was formed by Andrea O’Riordan, Jeremy Engels, Hannah Friedman, and Robert N. Ulrich. They wanted to create a space for LGBTQ+…
Reducing Wildfire Risk in Southern California
Wildfires in California are becoming more frequent and destructive, resulting in increased loss of property and life. In November 2018 alone, fires throughout the state caused up to an estimated…
Renewable Energy: 2019-2020 Focus
Policymakers are pushing to not just increase integration of renewable energy, but to transform our energy systems into systems dominated by renewables at local, state, and national levels. LA’s Green…
Research Tours
Our fellows inspire people who are curious to learn what environmental research looks like at a major research institution. Visitors attend group or individual tours and become inspired by seeing…
Rethinking Trash: Understanding the Value of Food Waste
Pictured above, left to right: Emma Stanfield (Team Leader), Maia Rodriguez-Choi, Caroline Schreck, and Elizabeth Popescu. Not pictured: Zachary Devereux (Team Leader) and Cali Ngyuen. SAR University Apartments Waste Diversion…
Striving for Equity in Public Investments in Water in California
In 2014, California voters approved a $7.5 billion bond measure to fund water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvements. Prop 1 included significant provisions to prioritize investments in disadvantaged communities. For…
Sustainable ebony production in the Congo Basin
Rainforests have long been recognized for their importance to the entire planet. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, something all animals need to survive. They are also home to…
The California Climate Expedition
The California Climate Expedition is an annual bicycle journey led by Center for Climate Science director Alex Hall and our partners at OnePulse. Each journey explores climate change impacts and solutions first-hand and raises funds for a critical area of climate-related research.